It is known to couple an optical fibre to an optical chip through a mounting block. The optical fibre is secured in an open-ended passageway extending between proximal and distal faces of the mounting block so that the fibre end is flush with the distal face. The distal face is then adhered to a face of the optical chip so that the fibre end is positioned to optically couple with a circuit element of the optical chip, for example an optical waveguide, a multiplexer, a de-multiplexer, a photodiode or a laser diode, i.e. an element of an optical circuit provided on the optical chip which receives, transmits, carries or processes an optical signal. Accurate alignment of the fibre end with the optical circuit element is needed for optimal optical coupling, especially when an optical signal is to be transmitted between the optical fibre and a waveguide or vice-versa. It would therefore be useful to provide means for aligning the optical fibre end with the circuit element.
In EP-A-0458608 (BICC PIc) there is made known a system for optically coupling an optical fibre with an integrated optical chip in which the integrated optical chip is encapsulated in a moulded male connector part so that a face thereof having optical guides is flush with a face of the male connector part between a pair of guide pins. An optical fibre ribbon is encapsulated in a moulded female connector part with the ends of the individual optical fibres being flush with a face of the female connector part between a pair of guide holes. When the male and female connector parts are connected together by inserting the guide pins into the guide holes, the faces of the connector parts abut one another. Moreover, the positioning of the guide pins and holes is such as to result in passive alignment of the fibre ends with the optical guides for optical coupling therebetween.
It is also known to use complementary guide pins and guide holes to passively align the ends of optical fibres for fibre-to-fibre optical coupling. In this regard, mention may be made of U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,939 (Shahid/Lucent Technologies Inc.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,621 (Luther et al/Siecor Corp.).
The aim of the present invention is to provide novel means for aligning an optical fibre with a circuit element of an optical chip.